Quiz: Mystery scores

Started by Sean, August 27, 2007, 06:49:47 AM

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Brian

Not really a Mystery Scores game, but...

What is the music on this wrapping paper?

https://shop.nybooks.com/products/sheet-music-wrapping-paper

amw


Karl Henning

Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Florestan

Bump inspired by a fascinating ongoing discussion in another thread.

What is this music about?

Any suggestions, @Luke ?
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

Luke

Well, I don't know the piece, it looks bit like Mendelssohn but I'm pretty sure it isn't him (partly because I don't know it, and I know most of his stuff, and partly because of the fff, which isn't his style and partly because it's just a little scruffy round the edges, which isn't his way either), so it could be a contemporary of his (Hiller, Henselt, one of those guys). As for what it's about, I presume from that question it therefore has a programmatic title, and, as I said on the other thread, really the title is part of the experience of the piece, so not knowing it makes it harder to work out what the music is trying to depict. But I'd say the following:

It's in A major, which is often a key of 'springtime,' (such as Mendelssohn's own famous 'Spring Song' Lieder ohne Worte or Henselt's Frühlingslied). The joyfully, eagerly repeating chords are also familiar from 'spring' pieces, like Grieg's To Spring Lyric Piece. The flowing 12/8 metre suggests as much too, but also connects to hunting-type topics, as do the horn-call like shapes. So the sum of that is something joyful, outdoorsy, possibly connected to springtime and/or the hunt. That's what I've got so far.   

Florestan

#5805
Quote from: Luke on April 04, 2023, 09:46:09 AMWell, I don't know the piece, it looks bit like Mendelssohn but I'm pretty sure it isn't him (partly because I don't know it, and I know most of his stuff, and partly because of the fff, which isn't his style and partly because it's just a little scruffy round the edges, which isn't his way either), so it could be a contemporary of his (Hiller, Henselt, one of those guys). As for what it's about, I presume from that question it therefore has a programmatic title, and, as I said on the other thread, really the title is part of the experience of the piece, so not knowing it makes it harder to work out what the music is trying to depict. But I'd say the following:

It's in A major, which is often a key of 'springtime,' (such as Mendelssohn's own famous 'Spring Song' Lieder ohne Worte or Henselt's Frühlingslied). The joyfully, eagerly repeating chords are also familiar from 'spring' pieces, like Grieg's To Spring Lyric Piece. The flowing 12/8 metre suggests as much too, but also connects to hunting-type topics, as do the horn-call like shapes. So the sum of that is something joyful, outdoorsy, possibly connected to springtime and/or the hunt. That's what I've got so far. 

Well, it's not a contemporary of Mendelssohn (nor a fellow countryman), and it's not a programatic work but I'd say that "joyful, outdoorsy, possibly connected to springtime and/or the hunt" is not a bad description of the overall mood.  Actually, I hadn't made the hunt connection before but now that you mentioned it, it does sound like hunting horn calls. Hmmmm....

First mvt, Allegro, of the Piano Sonata No. 4  in A major Op. 72 by Isaac Albeniz.  ;)



Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

Florestan

Quote from: Luke on April 04, 2023, 09:46:09 AMbecause of the fff, which isn't his style

Well, in the Ana-Marija Markovina set of Mendelssohn's complete piano works fff is pretty much his style. FFF and sempre staccato e sforzando, that is. Really, it gets tiresome pretty quickly.  ;D
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

Luke

Ah! OK! It's early Albeniz, this -  looks nothing like the mature Albeniz of Iberia etc - (Iberia is about 20 years later). Don't think I'd ever have got that unless by chance, it doesn't look Spanish even with hindsight! But it's character is pretty clear.

Luke

The only clue was the last bar of page 2 and the first of page 3, which are a very slightly Lisztian layout. But I couldn't extrapolate further than that.

Florestan

Quote from: Luke on April 04, 2023, 10:08:53 AMAh! OK! It's early Albeniz, this -  looks nothing like the mature Albeniz of Iberia etc - (Iberia is about 20 years later). Don't think I'd ever have got that unless by chance, it doesn't look Spanish even with hindsight! But it's character is pretty clear.

It's from 1887 and it doesn't sound Spanish in the least, but I like it nevertheless. It's a gentle, amiable and sunny work --- but I guess many A major pieces are that. Another one I can think of otomh is Schubert's D664.
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

Florestan

This is the first page of a programatic piece and indeed I think the visual aspect matches the subject matter.
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

Luke

That's Mompou. I play it. Is it the middle movement of Paisajes?

Luke

The Lake, I think (the score is in the music room)

Florestan

Quote from: Luke on April 05, 2023, 03:43:47 AMThat's Mompou. I play it. Is it the middle movement of Paisajes?

Yes, El lago (The Lake). Looking at the score I can very well picture the wavelets produced by a pebble thrown in it (the lake, that is, not the score).
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

Luke

#5814
Wave-based scores are great ones to spot! The impressionists particularly.....La Mer, Reflets dans l'eau, Une barque sur l'ocean, Jeux d'eau etc etc etc. One of my favourite scores, posted on this thread years ago, is Sciarrino's Anamorphosi, which takes Ravel's Jeux d'eau. and turns it into his Une barque.... all the while threading through it 'I'm singing in the rain.' Fun piece! And super clever!!


Hamelin hammin' it up.... (not really bringing out the Singing in the Rain intro tune properly at 1.08 though)

Florestan

Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

(poco) Sforzando

This was such a great thread in its day. Too bad most of the graphics were deleted. Luke, I, and others had such fun challenging each other.
"I don't know what sforzando means, though it clearly means something."

BWV 1080

#5817
Ok, here is something different.  If I posted the actual score to this keyboard piece think you all would easily get it, but try the figured bass

Its also transposed, so the original may or may not be in A minor



https://ibb.co/kh8GsMZ





Luke

Quote from: (poco) Sforzando on April 27, 2023, 11:02:08 AMThis was such a great thread in its day. Too bad most of the graphics were deleted. Luke, I, and others had such fun challenging each other.

Agree 100%. My favourite times on GMG!

That figured bass looks fun, and full of clues. But I haven't identified it from first looking. Here's a much easier, indeed notorious one, which will be snaffled quickly....but it's a good place to start were this thread to be reborn...


BWV 1080

Quote from: Luke on May 01, 2023, 01:20:19 PMHere's a much easier, indeed notorious one, which will be snaffled quickly....but it's a good place to start were this thread to be reborn...



that looks odd, am I reading that right?
6b
5
4
3
2
7#
so the d harm minor scale?